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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28464864">71 137 37 137 37 151 - Part II</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karma77/pseuds/Karma77'>Karma77</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>71 137 37 137 37 151 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Biology, Alien Character(s), Aliens, Bugs &amp; Insects, F/M, Original Character(s), Pokemon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:21:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,700</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28464864</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karma77/pseuds/Karma77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The second part of a series of short stories detailing the interactions between a researcher, and a curious, dubiously intelligent insectoid from another world.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>71 137 37 137 37 151 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084529</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>71 137 37 137 37 151 - Part II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrian shuffled his papers. He shook his head and dropped his papers to the metal bench before him - it wasn't making any sense. Standing up, he pushed his chair back and brought his thumb to the bridge of his nose. It was awkward, working here - roughly the size of a small bathroom, with the he worked on taking up almost half the space. A metal door to both his back and his right marked the only exits, and a small vent above was the only source of fresh air. He was many feet underground, dug far into a cavern wall. He cursed it but this place wasn't *for* working. As was clear by the square glass pane above the bench, this room was an observational pod. Looking down, he could see the floor of the chamber beyond, a good eight or so feet from the pod itself. Normally he'd work out of his much larger office, only staying in the observational pod occasionally to check on the subject beyond. But it'd been acting erratically lately. He had to more regularly observe it... now, how was she doing, anyway?</p><p>Beyond the thick glass of the observation pod was a large cube shaped chamber. It was carved into the stone of the cavern, not as smoothly or precisely as the rest of Adrian's lab was. The most noticable thing was the figure that sat within. They were tall, cresting six feet, and ghastly white, with an incredibly wiry body. Almost half of their height came from their legs, and her arms almost reached down to her knees. Her 'torso' was a long column, most of it obscured by several large discs that draped her form. Their round head bore crown-like protrusions above it's forehead, long antennae sprouting from behind them, and a large pair of wings draped like a veil behind them. Overall they had an incredibly insectoid appearance tempered by distinctly feminine traits. The discs around their hips were reminiscent of a skirt, large, long lashed eyes, and her generally slight physique. Their - Her - name was Pheromosa.</p><p>The insectoid creature sat on her knees, elbows resting by her waist but forearms raised before her chest. Her 'fingers' - long, golden feelers that sprouted from her wrists - were extended out and twitching from time to time. Her head was tilted down, facing the corner before her. This odd position was one of many that Pheromosa had taken over the past day or so. She'd been acting erratically, clearly unsettled by something. Adrian just couldn't figure out what. He hoped it wasn't anything medical, something wrong with her anatomy. It wasn't like she was a known and well understood species. As far as Adrian knew she was one of a kind. At least in this world. He hadn't done any sorts of invasive studies on her - she didn't like to be touched. Just a few weeks ago he'd had a major breakthrough by simply being able to touch her cheek. In the agitated state she was in now, it was likely he wouldn't even get that far. He hadn't tired to - he knew what she was capable of.</p><p>Adrian collapsed back into his chair, letting out a sigh as he took a sip of water. He'd resigned himself hours before - he just had to let it pass. She'd be okay. It was probably just part of her adjusting to this new world she found herself in. It must've taken a few weeks to really set in. Or, maybe she was adjusting to being kept inside her chamber for so long. It wasn't like he could take her out on a walk or anything. She'd maybe feel a bit discouraged but she wasn't... sick. She'd be okay. There was nothing he could do to help her, and trying would just endanger himself. She didn't need to be helped. She'd be okay... she'd be okay.</p><p>But what if she wasn't okay?</p><p>Adrian knocked his knuckles against his forehead. Lifting himself from his chair he reached out and swiped a small bag that sat near the end of the bench. What was he doing? He got up and brushed his hair back before walking over to the metal door to his right. The one that led into the chamber. It closed, electronically 'clicking' shut behind him. He took in a breath of the chamber air - More clinical and drier. Much more controlled ventilation in here. He didn't whatever he kept inside crawling out. He cautiously moved down a few of the metal steps - each quiet little sound his boots made on them sounded deafening. Adrian looked to Pheromosa, still on her knees before the corner opposite him. Her gaze was still cast down to the wall.</p><p>"Phero...mosa..." Adrian muttered. "Ah. Pheromosa?" He repeated more clearly. "Are you alright?" He looked at her, his brows furrowed. He brushed the bag on his belt, casting his eyes back to the viewing window behind him. "I brought cand-"</p><p>Adrian was cut off by a sound like a car tire over hard gravel. Like a stone skipping onto earth. A quiet but plenty impactful sound. Whipping his head back, he felt himself pinned against the wall behind him. To his right, just beside his bicep, a sharp, thin knee dug into the solid earth. A golden scaly padding extended out from it, stabbing an inch into the small depression the knee had made on contact. To his right, a long wiry foreleg pressed against the stone beside his hips. Above him Adrian saw two long, stick-like arms pressing their elbows to the sheer surface above. Their golden 'fingers' holding onto the wall with incredible grip. Pheromosa's long lashed eyes stared down at him. Their purple irises were practically pinpricks on her sclera.</p><p>Pheromosa kept deathly still. Adrian breathed heavily, his body freezing up as his eyes stared back at her - He didn't dare move. She must've... moved, from one corner of the chamber to another, leaped at him and pinned him in the time it took him to look away. He was only in one piece because she specifically made sure to move her body around him - the several inch crater she'd formed on the solid stone beside him was proof enough of that. He... he couldn't just. Stand... here. He had to do something... he didn't know how long it took. Could've been seconds or minutes. No part of his mind was racing to keep time. But something happened.</p><p>The insect's head twitched. It twitched again. And again. And again - this time, she threw her head forward. With great speed and force, she cracked the crown like thing on her forehead against the wall, making yet another impression in it. Her head whipped back on her shoulders and her shoulders in turn twitched, her hips pulling down and back as he arms reached up. Her eyes closed tight, and her shoulders pushed her chest forward above Adrian. Her entire body was erratic, each part of her torso from her hips to her chest disjointedly working against one another to keep her still. He couldn't hear her breathing - she never made a sound - but he knew she was stressing herself. Her antennae jolted and whipped up against the wall, shaking and convulsing. Her torso rubbed the wall, her back arching.</p><p>Adrian reached up quickly, swiping his hand beneath the discs that covered Pheromosa's chest. Snatching at her, he pulled his arm back down, and she threw her head back. Her eyes opened wide, looking up at the chamber ceiling, and her mouth opened. Her body calmed, slowly, and her antennae rested. She would've panted, if she could. After a moment's pause, she lowered her body down so that her hips were almost at level with Adrian's, bending her knees and stretching her arms fully to suspend her form. Adrian's hands were cupped together. A small, yellow, furry... thing, about the size of a baseball, sat inside them. It had four legs, and two large beady eyes.</p><p>"It was a joltik." He said, simply. "Just a bug... it must've gotten into your body, under those discs." Adrian was saying it more to himself than the pheromosa - she wouldn't understand a word he was sure. "Probably just... got under there while you were sleeping or something, not recognizing you weren't a weirdly shaped rock. But... you couldn't... reach. It." He tilted his head to the two long, wiry arms holding her up, and the insect like claws on their ends. "They're claws; hardly good for cleaning, and those arms aren't too good for precise movements either. You probably felt it crawling around in there; must've driven you mad." He parted his hands, letting the little bug crawl onto a nearby wall. "But you knew I could reach in there. Didn't you?"</p><p>Pheromosa let go. She fell backwards, kicking herself a few feet off of the wall and landing easily on the tips of those strange claw-like 'feet' that sprouted from her ankles. She may have had all the acrobatic precision and elegance in the world - but she couldn't clean herself too well. Adrian smiled, before peeling himself off of the wall and taking in a breath - one that was much larger and shakier than he'd intended. But he was okay.... he was okay. She was okay. Pheremosa lowered herself down to her knees and Adrian approached. Slowly, as he always did - but after that, he wasn't as cautious as usual. He lowered his legs though didn't sink to his knees, and looked her over. Her eyelids fluttered and her expression was glazed over.</p><p>"When was the last time you slept?" Adrian furrowed his brows. She blinked at him. </p><p>Adrian reached into his belt, into the bag he'd grabbed earlier. He smiled, extending his hand out with a large pink candy balanced between his fingers and thumb. Less diligently than she normally did, Pheromosa took the candy into her mouth, letting her eyes drift shut. Adrian went to pull his hand back. Pheromosa's strange, claw-like fingers wrapped around his wrist firmly and held him in place. Adrian stuttered, before she rather forcibly rubbed her cheek against his palm. A pause. They both smiled.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>While I was hoping to get all parts done before 2021, the final part required more time to be of appropriate quality. Instead I'll post some parts now, on new years eve.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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